This Is What Sports Fans Looked Like in the '90s

This Is What Sports Fans Looked Like in the '90s

Big pants with far more pockets than any person would realistically need. Bowl cuts and bangs. Gaudy sportswear and boys who could grow mustaches in the 8th grade.

The dynasty-driven NFL and NBA era gave way to "parity," as the newly restructured leagues gave new life to bad teams and all-time greats retired from the game.

It was the '90s, and upon further review, it didn't look as good as we thought it did, but standing between the decades that came before and after it, the crowing is understandable.

Few images capture the style and attitude of the decade that gave us Internet-based fantasy sports, more faithfully than sports fans from the '90s.

Here's 50 pics of sports fans who are totally '90s.

1990

1 of 50

David Cannon/Getty Images

Date: June 30, 1990

Event: Unknown...probably soccer.

This photo was labeled "Irish Fans With Whistles" in the Getty library. I probably would've labeled this one "Irish Fans With Lots of Bows," but whatever.

Also, I totally used to rock the horrible '90s swoop on the far left.

1990

2 of 50

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Date: September 23, 1990

Event: (Los Angeles) Rams vs. Eagles

Look at that awesome weirdo in the awesome hat! How is it possible that Los Angeles hasn't been able to support an NFL franchise?

1990

3 of 50

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Date: Exact Date Unknown

Event: Milwaukee Brewers Game

The exact date of this Brewers game is unknown, but one thing we know for sure is acid wash jean jackets with really skinny wrist holes were a terrible idea.

1990

4 of 50

George Rose/Getty Images

Date: August 26, 1990

Event: Oakland Raiders Game

There is no better way to represent the Raiders silver than with a grey tank top and a frosty can of the Silver Bullet...while sitting on a really dirty couch in the parking lot.

1990

5 of 50

Pascal Rondeau/Getty Images

Date: Exact Date Unknown

Event: Unknown

I have no idea what's up with this "Ferrari Supporter" and neither does Getty Images, but I guess we both figured this was a photo worth sharing. You're welcome.

1991

6 of 50

George Rose/Getty Images

Date: Exact Date Unknown

Event: Oakland Raiders Game

Nothing too out of the ordinary here—not much changes in Oakland. The only thing that really gives away the year is the lame SNL "Pumping Up with Hans & Franz" reference on the sign.

1991

7 of 50

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Date: Exact Date Unknown

Event: Oakland A's Game

Full body paint dudes have been around forever, apparently. I definitely prefer the look with the sunglasses; the weird yellow paint around the eyes is oddly unsettling.

1992

8 of 50

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Date: Exact Date Unknown

Event: Los Angeles Rams Game

Before the Rams moved to St. Louis, their devoted group of superman Melonheads were about the only fans the team could count on to actually show up to their home games.

1992

9 of 50

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Date: July 1992

Event: United States National Basketball Team, Barcelona Olympics

Fanny packs? Check! Patriot super fan gear? Check, check! Miniature American flags? Check, check, check! Those remain on the "what to pack" list of every American traveling abroad to this day.

1993

10 of 50

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Date: November 20, 1993

Event: West Virginia vs. Miami

The Mountaineers defeated No. 3 ranked Miami on this day, in a season which was undefeated until their loss to Florida in the Sugar Bowl.

Also, it's been two decades since then and WVU fans look exactly the same.

1993

11 of 50

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Date: June 24, 1993

Event: Unknown

The game may be unknown, but the scene sure has become a familiar one in MLB.The only difference is that today the security guy would have a taser and, ideally, nobody would be wearing knee-length jean shorts.

1993

12 of 50

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: January 31, 1993

Event: Cowboys vs. Bills, Super Bowl XXVII

These Bills fans were so excited about the opportunity to lose to the Cowboys that they shot a Buffalo and brought its head with them to the game.

I bet they were less excited about carrying that thing around after the game.

1993

13 of 50

Mike Powell/Getty Images

Date: January 31, 1993

Event: Bills vs. Cowboys, Super Bowl XXVII

I imagine there's a story behind why these women are dressed like that, but I have absolutely no clue what it is.

Fun fact: O.J. Simpson did the coin toss at the Super Bowl that year; just 18 months before his…uh…legal troubles began.

1993

My first thought was to laugh at these dudes because the Cowboys recently lost to the Saints by a million points, but then I remembered they did win three Super Bowls back then.

So instead I laughed about how Miley Cyrus forever ruined the foam finger.

1994

16 of 50

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Date: June 24, 1994

Event: USA vs. Romania

Apparently the 1994 U.S. men's soccer squad is what put the sport on the map. The fact that they were bumped out in the Round of 16 should give you a clue about where it was before that.

Say what you will about soccer, but there's no denying it attracts a lot of good looking ladies.

1994

17 of 50

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Date: December 24, 1994

Event: Steelers vs. Chargers

Christmas came early for these San Diego fans, as the home team narrowly defeated the Steelers, who finished an impressive 12-4 that season.

Also, I'm loving the lady in the Harvard sweatshirt! Never been a big fan of the Chargers colors.

1994

18 of 50

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Date: August 11, 1994

Event: Mariners vs. A's

Look at all those sad faces pleading with MLB and the players not to strike. Apparently they weren't too convincing, as the season ended the very next day.

1994

19 of 50

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Date: June 22, 1994

Event: USA vs. Colombia

This American soccer fan is rocking some classic crispy early '90s hair, complete with a not-so-great dye job and overly teased bangs.

1994

20 of 50

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: January 23, 1994

Event: Bills vs. Chiefs, AFC Championship

Wow. All I have to say about this is that if the Bills ever get back into the playoffs, I'm definitely going to a game. Hot tubs, cigars, authoritative mustaches and Coors Light—sounds like a thin slice of dirty heaven.

1994

21 of 50

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: January 1, 1994

Event: Nebraska vs. Florida State, Orange Bowl

On one hand, it's kind of lame that Nebraska's No. 1 fan went to the Orange Bowl with (what looks to be) his mom. On the other hand, at least she was there to hug him when they lost.

1995

22 of 50

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Date: December 31, 1995

Event: Packers vs. Falcons

I cropped this photo so we could play a guessing game. Anyone care to venture a guess as to where this game was played?

If you said Atlanta, you lose. And you should probably travel more.

1995

23 of 50

Al Bello/Getty Images

Date: November 7, 1995

Event: Cowboys vs. Chargers

I generally appreciate face painters as the entertaining clowns of the NFL. They're the only clowns I don't find completely horrifying.

1995

24 of 50

George Rose/Getty Images

Date: August 12, 1995

Event: Oakland Raiders Game

Business as usual in Raider Nation.

1995

25 of 50

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Date: October 28, 1995

Event: Boston College vs. Notre Dame

For some reason it's always a big deal for a team to play Notre Dame, which is why these BC fans went the extra mile to prepare for the big game.

Something tells me the BC was shaved off his head in a drunken rage later that night, after the Irish beat them 20-10.

1995

26 of 50

George Rose/Getty Images

Date: January 15, 1995

Event: 49ers vs. Cowboys, NFC Championship

There was a stretch (of at least three years) in the '90s when the Niners and Cowboys had an annual date in the NFC Championship.

It seems that fan rage toward the other team grew exponentially each year, along with that dude's mullet.

1995

27 of 50

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Date: November 19, 1995

Event: Browns vs. Packers

This Browns fan is obviously rankled about the franchise's impending move to Baltimore. That's in addition to being a '90s vision in brown and orange.

1995

28 of 50

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Date: January 29, 1995

Event: 49ers vs. Chargers, Super Bowl XXXIX

This photo is great because you can actually see Chargers fans in the background staring and taking photos of these guys. But I'm really not sure what's going on here.

1995

29 of 50

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Date: December 3, 1995

Event: Packers vs. Bengals

Green Bay is one of the only cities in the world that has a shirtless season for fat dudes. The season started on the day the city was founded and will end approximately never.

1996

30 of 50

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Date: December 29, 1996

Event: Steelers vs. Colts

As a Pittsburgh native, I'd like to say the era of the big crispy perm ended a long time ago like it did for the rest of the world. Unfortunately I cannot.

That lady could've been my mom or any of my aunts last Sunday.

1996

31 of 50

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Date: October 22, 1996

Event: Braves vs. Yankees, World Series Game 3

Timely reference there, Braves fans. Rocking the Conehead look three years after the dumb SNL sketch from the '70s was turned into a dumb movie from the '90s.

1996

32 of 50

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Date: December 22, 1996

Event: Redskins vs. Cowboys

I moved to the D.C. area about five years ago and have never really understood the hype behind the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry. People here all seem pretty "meh" about the whole thing.

This photo tells me that genuine hostilities do actually exist. Apparently I've just been hanging out with a pretty boring crowd.

1996

33 of 50

George Rose/Getty Images

Date January 28, 1996

Event: Steelers vs. Cowboys, Super Bowl XXX

Hopefully these Steelers fans got good and loaded before the game, which would've taken the edge off the stern kick to the crotch that dreadful loss to the Cowboys was.

1996

34 of 50

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Date: April 21, 1996

Event: Goody's Headache Powder 500

Two things: 1. NASCAR fans have never and will never change. 2. What the hell is Goody's Headache Powder?!